Automatic control device for the stabilizing mechanisms of aeroplanes



March 16 1926. 1,576,905

P. GERSTER AUTOMATIC CONTROL DEVICE FOR THE STABILIZING MECHANISMS OF AEROPLANES Filed August 19, 1925 2 Sheets-Shed 1 March 16,1926. 1,576,905

P. GERSTER AUTOMATIC CONTROL DEVICE FOR THE STABILIZING MECHANISMS OF AEROPLANES Filed u ust 19, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Guam - for the Stabilizing Mechanisms of Aero Patented Mar. 16, 1926.

1,576,905" PATENT OFFICE.

IIERRE GERSTER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMATIC CONTROL DEVICE FOR THE STABILIZING MECHANISMS OF AEROPLANES.

Application filed 'August 19, 1925. Serial No. 51,172.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PIERRE Gnas'rmz, a citizen of France,

residing at Detroit, in the county of lVayne and State of Michigan,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Control Devices planes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic control device for the stabilizing mechanism of aeroplanes, and has for its principal object to provide a circuit closer which will be automatically closed upon the tilting of an aeroplane either longitudinally or transversely for the purposeof closing circuits for operating an apparatus which controls the stabilizers of the aeroplane to return the same to a normal horizontal flight position.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a control mechanism of this nature'wherein a rack is normally held out of engagement with a rotating pinion and means whereby the rack may-be forced into engagement with the pinion when the aeroplane tilts so that said rack will be moved to actuate thestabilizing mechanism of the aeroplane so that said aeroplane will be righted.

Another important object of the invention is toprovide a device of thisnature which is easily adapted to any design of aeroplane and one which may be quickly installed, is not likely to easily become out of order, is thoroughly reliable and efficient in operation, and otherwise well adapted to the purpose for which itis designed.

With the above and numerous other ob:

jects in view as will appear as the descrip-- tion proceeds, the lnvention resides in cer- F1 3 is an enlarged section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail section taken substantially on the line 44 of Fig. 2,

wings 6 and 7 associated therewith in the v usual manner. The lower wings .7 are provided with the ailerons 8 and 9 respectively. These parts are all of well known formation and have been -described in order to exem hfy one ractical use of my device.

n setting forth the construction of my improved device, I have merely illustrated and described the same in conjunction with transverse tilting since the applicability of the. device to longitudinal tilting will be quite obvious.

Referring to the device in detail, it will be seen that 10 designates an electric motor or any other suitable prime mover driving the gear .11 which is in mesh with the gear 12. A standard 13 isprovided with a bracket 14 and one of my'improved circuit closers 15 is mounted on the end of the standard 13 and on the end of the bracket 14.

In Fig. 6, the construction of the circuit 35 closer 15 is illustrated to advantage, the same consisting of a U-shaped tubular member including the intermediate portion 16 and the sides 17. This tubular member is formed of insulating material preferably transparent such as glass and in its intermediate portion and the lower portion of its side is provided with a plurality of inwardly extending lugs 18. The tube is partially filled with mercury 19 or some other suitable electric conducting liquid. l A contact 20 is located centrally of the intermediate portion 16 and contacts 21 project into the upper ends of the sides 17. When the intermediate portions 16 is horizontally disposed, the lever of the mercury 19 is such as to be out of engagement with the contact 21. It will thus be seen that when the circuit closer is tilted longitudinally, that the mercury will engage with one of the contacts 21 for closing a circuit as will be set forth later. In the present example of the invention as is disclosed to advantage in Figs. 1 and 2, this circuit closer extends transversely of the aeroplane. A. pair of. uprights 22 are mounted inthe fuselage 5 and support therebetween a pivoted frame 23 having upper and lower rollers 24 and 25 between which is mounted a rack bar 26. A, spring 27 normally holds the rack bar in a predetermined position while a spring 28, supported on standard 29 to the rack bar 26 normally out of engagement with the gear 12. Cables 30 are connected to one end of the rack bar 26 and are trained over pulleys 31 and 32 and then engaged with the ailerons 8 and 9 respectively.

Gear segments 34 and 35 are pivotally mounted on the standard 29 and are in mesh with each other. The gear segment 34 has an armature extension 36 associated with an electro-magnet 37 having leads 38 and 39 extending therefrom. The lead 38 is engaged with one contact 21 while the lead 39 is engaged with the contact 20 of the circuit closer 15. The lower edge of the gear segment 35 is in the form of a cam. When the electromagnet 37 is energized to attract the armature extension 36, the gear segment 34 is rocked in the direction of the arrow 40, thereby rocking the gear segment 35 so that the cam edge 40 engages the rack bar 26 and forces the same into engagement with the gear 12.

Referring now to the operation of the single example which I have disclosed in the drawing, it will be seen that should the aeroplane tilt so that, the mercury 19 engages the'contact 21 attached to the lead 38, the electro-magnet 37 will be energized. The gear 12 is in rotation in the direction of the arrow 42. The energization of the electro-magnet 37, as previously set forth, causes the rocking of the gear segments 34 and 35 so that the cam edge 40 engages the rack bar 26 to mesh the same with the gear 12, and said rack bar 26 will, therefore, be moved so as to pull upon the cables 30 and swing the ailerons, so that said ailerons will tend to right the aeroplane.

It is obvious that this operating device may be incorporated in the aeroplane in various different manners for the purpose of controlling automatically the different stabilizing units of an ordinary aeroplane. In Fig. 5, I have'shown two, of the circuit closers 15 crossed rectangularly. The transverse circuit closer, of course, would be associated with an operating device controlling the transverse tilting stabilizing units while the other circuit closer would be associated with a similar device for controlling the operation of the stabilizing units causing longitudinal tilting of \the aeroplane.

It is thought that the construction, operation, utility, and advantages of the invention will now be clearly understood without a more detailed description thereof. The present embodiment of the invention has een disclosed in detail merely by way of example, since in actual practice it attains the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description.

It will be apparent that changes in the details of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed, or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. An operating device for the stabilizers of an aeroplane including in combination a standard, a frame pivoted in the standard, rollers journaled on the frame, a rack bar movable between the rollers, a rotating gear, means associated with the rack bar normally holding it out of mesh with said gear, and means for moving the rack bar into engagement with said gear.

2. An operating device for the stabilizers of an aeroplane including in combination a standard, a frame pivoted in the standard,

rollers journaled on the frame, a rack bar movable between the rollers, a rotating gear, means associated with the rack bar normally holding it out of mesh with said gear, a pair of meshing pivotally mounted ear members, one of said members provided with a cam edge engageable with the rack bar, an electromagnet associated with the other member to attract the same for rocking the gear members so as to cause said rack bars tobe brought into mesh with said rotating gear.

3. An operating device for the stabilizers of an aeroplane including in combination a standard, a frame pivoted in the standard, rollers journaled on the frame, a, rack bar movable between the rollers, a rotating gear, means associated with the rack bar normally holding it out of mesh with said ear, a pair of meshing pivotally mounte gear members, one of said members provided with a cam edge engageable with the rack bar, an electromagnet associated with the other member to attract the same for rocking the gear members so as to cause said rack bars to be brought into mesh with said rotatiitg gear, and an automatically operated circuit closer associated with said: electromagnets.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

PIERRE GERSTER. 

